


Don't Waste My Time With Tears (The Brotherly Love Remix)

by Daegaer



Category: Weiß Kreuz
Genre: Alternate Universe - Apocalypse, Demons, Dystopia, End of the World, Gen, Horror, Psychic Abilities, Sibling Love, Team Dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-07
Updated: 2018-09-07
Packaged: 2019-07-08 02:56:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15921392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daegaer/pseuds/Daegaer
Summary: The demon rose, but its face is familiar and oh, so loved.





	Don't Waste My Time With Tears (The Brotherly Love Remix)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lady_Ganesh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Ganesh/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Don't Waste My Time with Tears](https://archiveofourown.org/works/454519) by [Lady_Ganesh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Ganesh/pseuds/Lady_Ganesh). 



> Thank you to Scribblemoose for beta-reading!

_When I die,_ Aya thinks, in the endless latter days when he has already done everything he swore that he never would, _I will be reincarnated in Hell. Over and over. For millennia._

"No, you won't," his sister's gentle voice says. "I would never allow that to happen. You're far too entertaining to me here on earth."

He bows his head in weary submission. It doesn't do to forget that Hell has already broken its bonds.

* * * 

When Aya still allowed himself the indulgence, he thought of all the ways it could have been different. If they had been even five minutes earlier. Or if Manx had. Or if Crawford had been a worse shot. _Stop_ , he told his memory as Aya-chan grinned merrily and Sakura crumpled to the ground again and again in his mind's eye, limbs sprawling like a discarded doll. So much was his fault; he should have kept his sister _safe_ -

"You did. All that time until I woke up. Telling me stories in hospital, killing everyone who hurt our family. You're a good brother, really you are. It's why I haven't eaten you."

"Thank you."

"You're _welcome_ , nii-chan!"

The smile was completely his sister's, though the way she moved was barely human any more. At least she was sitting down at the moment, on her throne that shifted and pulsed with some slow beat, like the heart of a giant agonised beast. The Tower fell; what rose from the waters of Tokyo Bay to cast its shadow over the country had been growing, day by day.

If only he had fought harder, killed those Eszett freaks sooner. He didn't protect her, and now, and now –

"Silly, it's better this way. Now _I_ can take care of _you_."

She levered herself from the throne and came towards him, her gait almost that of the girl he remembered. _She is being as kind as she can_ , he told himself, and kept his eyes open as she stroked his cheek, her cheerful gaze on his face.

"Aya," he whispered, "I'm sorry."

"Shh. It's all right. All I ask for is that you love me. I know you do. You mustn't ever stop loving me, nii-chan. I'll know." She patted his cheek more firmly. "Now. People are coming. Don't use my name in front of anyone else, you know you got upset by what had to happen the last time you made that mistake. My name is only for you, nii-chan. So much is only for you." She leant in and kissed him on the lips, lightly, like a butterfly landing. The venom stung, but he licked it off anyway, to make her smile.

He drew back to stand behind her as the far doors opened, and six emaciated, blank-faced men and women came in dragging two struggling adults and a child with them. One of the women was holding a baby. He let his eyes unfocus. He had accepted all necessities when he came to save his sister. He _had_.

"Kneel before Our Lady," one of the men said, as the prisoners were forced down onto the slickly glistening floor.

"Oh, how lovely!" Aya-chan said, padding towards them like a tiger scenting prey.

The thing to do, Aya told himself, was to accept that these people – even the kids - were all secret demon worshippers, or witches, or some sort of psychic freaks. That was the sort of person that Aya-chan found most – useful. It was surprising how many such people had lived in Tokyo, but he had been kept busy enough in Weiss by freaks of all kinds. This was just another way of keeping a social nuisance under control.

It was hard to ignore the noises.

* * *

When the Tower fell he had already been thinking, _Just five minutes earlier_. Nothing was clear. It was only later he knew that she had made it fall. The sight of his sister, awake and stalking across the floor, already up to her shoulders in blood, had left him shocked rigid, unable to move. The Eszett bastards had trampled each other to get away from her. _Aya,_ he remembered calling, _Aya, it's me!_ Through all the screams she heard him. She _knew_ him, he'd swear to it – and then her gaze fixed on Crawford, horrified and backing away as fast as he could, trying to reload his gun with shaking hands. Aya should have been glad to see one of Schwarz die but the image of his little sister pulling the man's arms from their sockets haunted his dreams. Crawford only stopped screaming when she twisted his head right off his neck, and Aya finally, belatedly, drew his sword against her – only to find himself propelled back by an unseen force into the obscurity of the crowd.

"Run!" he somehow heard Schuldig yell, though he couldn't see anyone from either Weiss or Schwarz. "Just _run!_ "

It had taken a full day before Aya had realized it had been in his mind, and hadn't even been in Japanese. He cut down fleeing Eszett members in his way, and when he stumbled found himself hauled back up by Farfarello.

"This way!" Farfarello said, pulling him along as the Tower shuddered. "Kudoh! Hey, _Kudoh!_ "

It _was_ Yohji. Aya took a relieved breath as they reached him.

"Say _Thank God_ and I'll gut you," Farfarello said. "Kudoh, you seen Nagi or Schuldig?"

"Ken's that way," Yohji said pointing to a side corridor. 

"Well then," Farfarello said. "What _are_ we waiting for?"

"Are we going to trust him?" Yohji said as Farfarello jumped back out into the crowd, knives out. "He probably wants to finish bashing Ken's brains out."

"Three's better than two," Aya said. "Come on."

Thirty seconds after they got Ken out from under a pile of corpses of his own making the crowds began to clear, laggards' necks snapping as an inducement to move. Nagi and Schuldig came up. Schuldig looked like Aya felt.

"The whole thing's coming down," Nagi said. "We have to get out, _now_. Crawford had a boat." 

They watched the final collapse from the shore, then without a word struck out for the flower shop, still staying together. It took hours to cross the city, the sky darkening even though it was morning and a terrible silence settling. All the TV and radio channels were off, and the emergency broadcasts stopped very quickly.

"Did you see all the flocks of birds heading west out of Tokyo?" Omi said.

"It's a sign of the Apocalypse," Farfarello said, sounding – not displeased.

"He thinks everything's a sign of the Apocalypse," Nagi said. "Let's head for Kyoto; then we have a choice of routes to the coast and we can get on a ship to Korea. We should work together till we're there. That's my vote. Farfarello?"

"Sure. Why not?"

"Schuldig?"

"They vote?" Yohji said, elbowing Aya. "How come we never vote?"

"Come _on_ , Schuldig, _focus_."

Schuldig looked at them, and met Aya's eyes. He looked lost, Aya thought, realizing for the first time that the damn freaks really weren't any older than _they_ were. _Probably making it up as they go along, just like us,_ he thought.

"Screw you," Schuldig said, his face coming alive. "You didn't just see your friend get dismembered. And don't get self-righteous with me, any of you. We have the same damn job, but at least we fucking know it. Hey, Fujimiya, how's it feel to know your sister is a fucking demon? D'you think it hurt her much when it ate her from the inside out, or maybe it made her come as it did it?"

Aya had his sword out and slashing through the space where Schuldig had been before he paused to think. He spun and attacked again, fighting the compulsion to turn the edge of the blade against his own neck. Schuldig leapt aside, pulling out his gun.

"Everyone down! He's a fucking terrible shot when he's this pissed off!" Farfarello yelled.

" _Stop!_ "

Aya froze, his sword in mid-strike, unable to move. Schuldig he saw, was trying and failing to move his gun hand. Omi and Nagi were standing between them, pale and angry. They had shouted in unison, Aya realized.

"That is _enough_ ," Omi said. "We need each other. We don't have to like it, but it's the truth. Aya, what has happened with your sister is terrible, and we all know it. Schuldig – well, no one deserved to die that way."

"Really fucking heartfelt," Schuldig sneered, slowly lowering his arm.

Aya found himself able to move. He looked at Omi and the others, and sheathed his sword.

"We wouldn't give them even that much sympathy," Nagi said. "Let's work on staying alive, OK, Schuldig?"

"Fine. OK," Schuldig said and turned his back on them all.

"I'm not going to Korea," Ken said.

"I'm staying in Tokyo," Aya said. "I'm going to save my sister."

"She's gone, Fujimiya," Farfarello said. "Look – I understand, I had a sister myself –"

"Omi," Aya said, "get Naoe to shut him up."

Farfarello put his hands up peaceably and walked off. All of Weiss looked at each other.

"I vote for staying in Tokyo," Yohji said. "I think we can beat this thing."

"We'll stay," Omi said. "At the very least we can gather intel. I'm sorry, Schwarz, you've been outvoted."

"This is a _mistake_ ," Nagi said. "We're all going to regret this."

* * *

Aya looked at his sister, sprawled and sated on her throne, and wondered if the others were in Korea yet. He hoped so. With all his heart he hoped so. Sooner or later they'd be picked up in one of her sweeps if they were still in the city, and he didn't think he could bear to watch what would happen.

Aya-chan was idly playing with the black and evil-smelling thing that had been Crawford's head. It had used to speak, when Aya first came to her, and had flung himself down at her feet. She had called it speaking, though it had been mostly a wordless terrified wailing that he had tried to delude himself was a song. Now there was only a quiet mutter now and again.

"He doesn't tell the future any more," she said. "Isn't that lazy?"

"Perhaps he's hoping to be allowed to die," Aya said, keeping his voice calm, like he was discussing the weather. It was cold now. It was always cold, and dark.

Aya lifted the head and peered into the stinking face, adjusting the broken glasses. "Really? I think that's just an excuse to get off work," she said. "Would you like one of his eyes, nii-chan?"

"No, thank you," he said. "I ate earlier."

"You never share my meals. It's disappointing. That's going to change."

He fixed his eyes on the far wall and said nothing. He could endure everything to protect Aya now the way he should have in the past. She sighed and put the head down, curling up like a small girl in an oversized chair. She looked so much like his sister that he thought his heart would break.

"Nii-chan," she said, resting her cheek on her folded hands. "I know you came to save me and to kill the demon. You know I know that, don't you?"

"You've always been able to see right through me," he said.

"Yes. I _am_ Aya, Our Lady of Japan. And all of Asia, soon enough. Korea wouldn't be _nearly_ far enough to run. Don't. Try. It."

"I will never leave you again," he said. It was the absolute truth, although he didn't quite know what he meant by it. She sat up and looked at him, and for once he clearly saw the slit pupils and the sharp teeth. He still walked to her when she held out a hand, sat on the steps of the throne and laid his head on her knee.

"Do you really control all of Japan?" he asked as she stroked his hair. "Or is it just Honshu? Or Tokyo?" Perhaps the others had got out and were long gone.

Her laughter above him was exactly the sound of her laughter on her sixteenth birthday as they ran through the rain, secure in the knowledge that they were safe and loved.

"Oh, nii-chan," she said. "Have a little faith."


End file.
